WILMINGTON, MA — Below are the most-viewed stories involving local business on Wilmington Apple in 2018:BREAKING NEWS: Here Is What’s Going In At The Old Sonic Location…CONFIRMED: Casa Blanca Mexican Restaurant To Open In Wilmington At Former Chili’s LocationWHOA! Apartment Complex, 7 Retail Stores & Bank Proposed At Woburn St. & Lowell St. IntersectionNew Restaurant To Open On Concord Street This SpringSpruce Farm Condo Development Set To Add 27 55-And-Over Housing Units In WilmingtonTremezzo Owners Look To Open Italian Bakery In WilmingtonElia’s Country Store To Be Closed For Approximately One WeekKitty’s In North Reading Closed Until Further Notice After Salmonella OutbreakNew Retail/Restaurant Development, Pedestrian Improvements Coming To Ballardvale StreetCondos & Townhouses Proposed For Corner Of Main Street & Butters RowBREAKING NEWS: Rite Aid/Walgreens To Close In WilmingtonWORTH THE WAIT: Pancho’s Cantina, New Mexican Restaurant, Opens In Wilmington Near TargetPHOTO & VIDEO: Lucci’s Italian Sub Named ‘Best Italian Sub In Massachusetts’Pacific Grove Has A New Owner, Promises Not To Make Any Changes(EDITOR’S NOTE: Each of the above stories received at least 1,500 hits in 2018.)Like Wilmington Apple on Facebook. Follow Wilmington Apple on Twitter. Follow Wilmington Apple on Instagram. Subscribe to Wilmington Apple’s daily email newsletter HERE. Got a comment, question, photo, press release, or news tip? Email wilmingtonapple@gmail.com.Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading… RelatedWilmington’s Top Political & Government Stories Of 2018In “Government”NEW RESTAURANT ALERT: Habit Burger Grill To Open Its First New England Location Right Here In WilmingtonIn “Business”BOARD OF HEALTH: Tremezzo Pizzeria & Michael’s Place Opening Soon; Silence From Casa Blancaread more

2:38 Post a comment 0 Now playing: Watch this: Share your voice Can big tech actually be broken up? Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg participates in a Presidential Candidates Forum at the NAACP 110th National Convention on Wednesday. Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Pete Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is big tech’s latest critic. His new economic plan, called “A New Rising Tide,” seeks to implement gig worker rights and gender pay transparency, according to a blog post published Friday.Buttigieg said he’ll support the “ABC test” to make sure workers aren’t denied minimum wage and their chance to unionize. The ABC test determines that a worker is “free from employer’s control,” is “performing work outside of the employer’s usual course of business” and works as an “independent business in the industry.” Among other initiatives, the former mayor said he wants to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act — currently awaiting the Senate’s approval — which would ban an employer from using an employee’s past salary history to determine pay. His policy comes at a time when other Democratic presidential candidates have rebuked big tech companies. Tulsi Gabbard on Thursday sued Google, alleging the search giant was “intermeddling” in the election. The $50 million suit claims that Gmail had sent Gabbard’s campaign emails to spam folders. Sen. Elizabeth Warren has been championing the breakup of tech giants, including Amazon, Google and Facebook.”More than half of workers in Google’s offices do not share in Google’s success because they are domestically outsourced temps and contractors,” Buttigieg stated. “Millions of Uber and Lyft drivers lack basic protections because they’re misclassified as independent contractors.”Google has previously come under file about its treatment of employees. Last year, a New York Times report said Android creator Andy Rubin was accused of sexual harassment by a co-worker. Uber, meanwhile is grappling with its own leadership board. In the past two months, the company has lost three board members, including Arianna Huffington. The ride service says it’s been working with drivers on plans for compensation.”We’ve been at the table with stakeholders offering a plan that would guarantee drivers an earnings floor tied to minimum wage plus expenses; a robust package of portable benefits they can access no matter which rideshare company they drive for,” said a spokesperson for Uber. Google, on the other hand had stated in April that it would require companies that supply its temporary and contract workers to provide full benefits and a $15 minimum wage. Tags Politics Googleread more

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor K N Tripathi today said he had “nothing to say” about the decision of Jadavpur University to reintroduce entrance tests in the Arts faculty, and said the varsity’s executive council was within its rights to lay down admission norms. “The admission committee has been formed by the EC, it has laid down certain norms to conduct admission tests (to six humanities streams). The tests will now be conducted as per the stipulated norms… I have nothing to say in this matter,” Tripathi, who is also the Chancellor of JU, said. Also Read – Speeding Jaguar crashes into Merc, 2 B’deshi bystanders killed Tripathi was asked to comment about the decision of the EC to reintroduce admission tests to the six humanities subjects in undergraduate courses – English, Comparative Literature, Bengali, History, Political Science and Philosophy. On JU Vice-Chancellor Suranjan Das’s statement that he would ask Tripathi to relieve him and Pro-VC Pradip Ghosh of their responsibilities, the Governor said, “Let him (VC) come. I will take appropriate measure after talking to him and taking a view of the whole situation.” Also Read – Naihati: 10 councillors return to TMC from BJP Entrance tests to the six arts subjects will be held on different dates from July 21 to July 25. Students would be admitted based on the 50:50 formula – equal weightage on marks obtained in admission tests and in board examination, a decision which had originally been taken at the June 27 EC meeting and subsequently scrapped, before been reintroduced. JU Registrar Chiranjib Bhattacharya has said no external experts will be involved in the admission process, which will be conducted by faculty members.read more

Entrepreneur has affiliate partnership with TechBargains so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.Thanks to our friends at TechBargains, we’ve rounded up three can’t-miss deals on stuff you won’t want to miss. Check it out:55″ LG OLED 4K UltraHD HDTV for only $1599.99 (Orig. $2299.99)LG’s OLED HDTVs are at the top of every major reviewer’s list for the best TV you can buy. They are ultra thin and have the best picture quality with inky blacks and vibrant colors. Thanks to each individually controlled OLED pixel you can achieve true black by turning off the pixel. LED TVs can only turn off a section of pixels and are unable to achieve the perfect black that OLEDS Can. This is among one of the best prices we’ve seen for this TV.Vivon Contemporary Foam Accents Chairs for $84These foam chairs are available in four colors and four different styles. They add a modern twist to any room and are made from layers of supportive and conforming foam for a comfortable sitting experience.JayBird Freedom Wireless Bluetooth Headphones for $29.99 (Orig. $44.99)Get ready for the iPhone 7 as it is rumored that it will not come with a headphone jack. This means you will have to use Bluetooth headphones for the best experience and these popular JayBirds are great for working out and come from a popular brand.Disclosure: This is brought to you by the Entrepreneur Partner Studio. Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.Have a deal you want to promote? Contact us here. Enroll Now for Free This hands-on workshop will give you the tools to authentically connect with an increasingly skeptical online audience. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. 2 min read Free Workshop | August 28: Get Better Engagement and Build Trust With Customers Now August 4, 2016read more

NEW YORK — The Federal Aviation Administration is reporting delays in air travel because of an increase in sick leave at two East Coast air traffic control facilities. LaGuardia Airport in New York and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey were both experiencing delays in takeoffs. According to the FAA’s website, arrivals at both airports are being delayed at their departure points – by up to 90 minutes at LaGuardia and an hour at Newark.The effects have hit Canadian airports, where departure boards are showing delays and outright cancellations of flights bound for American destinations.Air Canada has posted a travel alert for both LGA and EWR, citing Air Traffic Control restrictions at both airports. Air Canada is allowing passengers booked in and out of either airport today, Jan. 25, to alter their flight plans with no change fees.LaGuardia Airport (@LGAairport), tweeted at about 11:10 a.m. this morning: “Due to staffing shortages at FAA air traffic control centers along the East Coast there are major delays at LGA. Confirm your flight with your airline.” LaGuardia has continued to update travellers about the length of delays throughout the day, via @LGAairport.FAA spokesman Gregory Martin said that it had augmented staffing, rerouted traffic and increased spacing between planes as needed. The staffing problems were at air traffic centres in Jacksonville, Florida and a Washington D.C. centre that controls high-altitude air traffic over seven states. Martin says safety is being maintained during a period of “minimal impacts” on travel. The White House says President Donald Trump has briefed on airport delays amid the extended partial government shutdown. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the federal government shutdown is impacting safety and security at airports and putting travellers at risk. The Democrat wrote to Republican President Donald Trump today demanding that he reopen government immediately. Cuomo said the partial shutdown is reducing staffing for Transportation Security Administration workers as well as air traffic controllers. He noted an increase in the number of TSA workers calling in absent, and said many air traffic controllers are working extra shifts without pay. Tags: Delays, Government Shutdown, LaGuardia Airport Share Friday, January 25, 2019 << Previous PostNext Post >> Major delays reported at LaGuardia, EWR as shutdown wreaks havoc More news: Universal enhances popular Harry Potter vacation package with new perksWith files from The Canadian Press By: The Associated Pressread more

State Representative Daniela R. García, of Holland, voted today for bipartisan legislation to make state government more accountable and accessible to the people of Michigan.The 11-bill package makes the governor and lieutenant governor subject to the Freedom of Information Act and creates a similar disclosure requirement for state representatives and senators called the Legislative Open Records Act.“These bills strengthen the public’s right to see how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent by state officials,” García said. “I voted for this legislation because I believe in transparency in state government.”The legislation is similar to a package of bills introduced last session and passed overwhelmingly by the House. The bills were not taken up by the Senate prior to the end of the 2015-16 legislative session.Michigan is one of just a few states that do not subject their legislative and executive branches to open records acts.##### 16Mar Representative García votes to increase government transparency Categories: Garcia News,Newsread more

State Rep. Mary Whiteford (R-Casco Twp.) has finished her first full term in the state House with a perfect voting record, taking part in all 1,554 votes during the 2017-2018 session.“Being a voice for our district at the state Capitol is something I take very seriously,” Rep. Whiteford said. “I have not missed a single vote since taking office in March of 2016 and each one has been cast with the best interests of our communities in mind.”Recognized for her leadership, Rep. Whiteford was recently elected by her peers to serve as assistant floor leader for the 2019-20 legislative session. This will be Rep. Whiteford’s second full term in the state House, representing residents of the 80th District in Allegan County.### 03Jan Rep. Whiteford continues perfect voting record Categories: Whiteford Newsread more

News channel France 24 has signed an agreement with Yahoo! allowing the channel to share its content on the UK, Canadian, French and Arabic Yahoo!-Maktoob versions of the portal.These Yahoo! platforms now offer videos and articles from France 24’s three channels and websites in French, English and Arabic in their Yahoo News sections.Yahoo! is also aggregating articles from France 24 sister radio service RFI in French and English and Monte Carlo Doualiya in Arabic.

Alternative currency that performs 300% better in a currency collapse Today, most Americans know absolutely nothing about, let alone own, this incredibly valuable asset. Click here to learn more. Recommended Links Regards, Justin Spittler Delray Beach, Florida November 20, 2015 We want to hear from you. If you have a question or comment, please send it to feedback@caseyresearch.com. We read every email that comes in, and we’ll publish comments, questions, and answers that we think other readers will find useful. • E.B. Tucker, editor of The Casey Report, says Square has bigger problems than its lackluster IPO… E.B. thinks Square will be a casualty of the digital revolution in money… In the September issue of The Casey Report, E.B. said the way we pay for everyday goods and services is “antiquated, expensive, and inefficient.” Most people pay with credit or debit cards right now. But E.B. thinks more and more people will use their smartphones to make purchases soon. He says “traditional plastic credit cards will join VHS tapes, floppy discs, phone books, and landline telephones in the graveyard of outdated technology.” • The digital money revolution will claim many victims… E.B. says businesses won’t need credit card terminals if people stop using credit cards. …[T]he credit card terminal. It’s a clunky, redundant, and expensive appendage jutting out from the side of every checkout lane in America. We’re used to swiping our card through it. But if cards become obsolete, so does swiping terminals. That’s a big problem for Square. The company is a “one-trick pony.” Payment processing for its portable credit card readers accounts for 95% of its sales. E.B says its portable readers are already outdated. Square got rid of the traditional terminal and replaced it with a small white contraption that reads credit cards when inserted into a smartphone. That’s the technological equivalent of making a buggy whip with a more ergonomically pleasant handle. It’s still a buggy whip…and the car is about to be invented. • E.B. thinks another payment company is even more vulnerable than Square… In the September issue of The Casey Report, E.B. recommended shorting (betting against) the “most vulnerable” company in the digital money revolution. This company is the top manufacturer of credit card terminals in the world. Its annual sales only grew 0.16% between 2012 and 2014. E.B. expects the company’s struggles to get worse quickly. The physical credit card won’t be around much longer. That means this company’s days are likely numbered. We believe that right now is a very important time to hedge your portfolio with a large cash level, physical gold, and some short sales of companies that are extremely vulnerable to a slower economy or technological change. Taking these steps could mean the difference between losing a fortune during the next downturn and having “ammo” ready when the next buying opportunity strikes. You can get in on our “death of the credit card” short – and learn other strategies to protect and grow your money – by taking The Casey Report for a risk-free trial. Click here to learn more. Chart of the Day The U.S. IPO market is having its worst year since the Great Recession… Today’s chart shows how much U.S. IPOs have raised since 2005. As you can see, the IPO market grew steadily from 2005 to 2007. However, like most markets, it imploded during the global financial crisis. Then it recovered. In 2014, U.S. IPOs raised more than $85 billion, the most money since 2000. So far this year, U.S. IPOs have only raised $29 billion. That’s 64% less than the same period last year. Companies that do IPOs are usually young and unproven. They’re typically riskier than established, blue chip companies. The huge decline in the size of the IPO market this year could be a sign that investors are losing their appetite for risky assets. That often happens in the late stages of a bull market… This is completely unfair to you One of America’s most lucrative new ways of investing is off-limits to ordinary investors by order of U.S. Govt. Rule 501. But one New Jersey entrepreneur has found a “backdoor” that could help you make $10,000s. Details here. — – Another major IPO just flopped… Yesterday, credit card processing company Square (SQ) held its initial public offering. An IPO is when a company sells shares to the public for the first time. Companies “go public” to raise money. Square makes a small, plastic device that turns any smartphone into a credit card reader. The device is popular with coffee shops, food trucks, and other small merchants. Square originally hoped to raise $324 million. It only raised $243 million, or 25% less than its original goal. Yesterday’s IPO put the value of Square at $2.9 billion, a major disappointment. Last year, private investors valued Square at $6 billion. Based on that, Square had hoped to price its shares at about $15.46. But the company couldn’t generate enough investor interest at that price, so it lowered its goal to $11-$13 per share. In the end, Square went public yesterday at only $9 per share… • Then Square’s stock price skyrocketed on its first day of trading… Square closed at $12.85 on Thursday, or 44% above its IPO price. This doesn’t make the IPO any less of a failure. The post-IPO rally doesn’t put any more cash in the company’s bank account. After six years of business, Square still hasn’t turned a profit. The company lost $54 million last quarter. Also, its sale growth rate slowed during the first half of 2015, which is a bad sign for any startup. Plus, Square only has a part-time CEO, Jack Dorsey. He doubles as the CEO of social media giant Twitter (TWTR). Twitter’s stock price has fallen 34% over the past year. • Square picked a lousy time to go public… U.S. IPOs have raised 64% less money this year than they had at the same point last year, according to IPO research firm Renaissance Capital. The number of IPOs is also down 62% compared to the same period last year, according to research firm Dealogic. The number of tech IPOs has dropped 53%. Meanwhile, companies that are going public are struggling to raise money… Last month, global payment processing company First Data Corp. (FDC) had the biggest IPO of 2015. The company originally hoped to raise $3.2 billion. Like Square, First Data couldn’t generate much investor interest at its target valuation. So, the company discounted its IPO share price by about 16%. Other companies are delaying or canceling IPOs altogether… Last month, supermarket chain Albertsons postponed its IPO because of market volatility. The company was hoping to raise $2 billion. It would have been the second-biggest IPO of the year. And mobile phone provider Digicel Group flat-out canceled its IPO in early October.read more

Barcelona’s boardwalk is lined with migrants selling knock-off purses, off-brand tennis shoes and soccer jerseys on blankets. Most are sub-Saharan African men, yet there are a few groups of women selling jewelry or offering to braid people’s hair. They huddle together, away from the men, and don’t interact much with the tourists walking past.At one point, a sub-Saharan woman comes by with a bag overloaded with Tupperware falling out. Two of the street sellers call her over — she pulls out a disposable plate with rice, then pours sauces and spices on top of it. After the men pay her, she walks just a few feet before another group of hawkers — known in Spain as manteros, for the manta or “blanket” they place their merchandise on — get her attention, and she stops again.”What women have started doing recently is making money feeding manteros typical African food,” says Rose Mirène Mouansie Mapiemfou, 44, who migrated to Spain from Cameroon in 2001. “They walk around with their carts during lunch time.”Mapiemfou says that while it’s difficult for undocumented migrants to find work in Spain, it’s even harder for the women who arrive. It’s the female migrants, she adds, that hold up the migrant community.Crossings from Africa to Spain increased significantly this year, making up almost half of all irregular migrant arrivals into Europe. The numbers have been rising each month, even as temperatures drop and sea crossings become more dangerous. As of Oct. 28, the last figures available, there were 10,324 arrivals that month — the highest this year so far.And 10 percent of those who cross are women, according to the International Organization for Migration. Immigration lawyers and activists say nearly every woman who makes the journey to Spain is sexually abused along the way – sometimes they come through sex trafficking mafias, who facilitate the crossing in return for a debt of tens of thousands of dollars. Women sometimes arrive pregnant or with infants conceived on their journey, often a result of rape.Mapiemfou is an exception. She came to Barcelona with a temporary visa 17 years ago, which then turned into a residency permit, and eventually led to citizenship. Today, Spain grants fewer tourist and student visas given to people from African countries — so one of the only options left is to arrive by boat.”I was an economic migrant, just like a lot of the people arriving in dinghies today,” says Mapiemfou. “But I can tell you, there’s not much difference between those who have papers and those who don’t.”She says that being a black female migrant in Spain means fighting two battles: racism and sexism. There are certain parts of town she says she can’t go to during specific times of the day. Last time she went to the touristy street of Las Ramblas after nightfall — a place known for prostitution — a Spanish man came up to her and asked her how much she charged.”I was outraged. I can’t sit in parks, or walk down the street without someone harassing me,” Mapiemfou says. “We exist, and we’re not all sex workers, and we didn’t all arrive by boat.”Gema Fernández, an immigration lawyer for the nonprofit Women’s Link, says female migrants have been made invisible to the public eye.”All the attention when it comes to immigration is placed on the male experience,” says Fernández. “So we wanted to ask: How are women arriving? What happened during their journey? And when they arrive, where do they go?”Fernández found that a lot of women who crossed from Africa without papers work in the private sphere, doing things like domestic work, agricultural work and, most often, sex work. These types of jobs, Fernández adds, puts them in an even more vulnerable situation than they were already in by being undocumented.”Every migrant goes through hardships, but the hardships for women are sexualized,” Fernández says. Throughout their journey, if they need to make more money, “men can take up odd jobs, but women have to get into sex work or borrow money in exchange for sexual favors.”Women’s reasons for migrating are often different from men’s, she adds. They generally flee gender-related violence, such as forced marriages or female genital mutilation. Other times, they’re looking for better education and work opportunities than they can find as women in their home countries. They hope that in Spain — or in Europe in general — they’ll be able to lead a more autonomous life.Yet that’s not always the case, says Fernández.”Women can fall into sex trafficking if they’ve racked up a debt,” she says. “Whether it happens along the way or once they’re already in Spain.”Áliva Díez, coordinator at the nonprofit Spanish Commission for Refugees in Madrid, says a lot of women who come through the organization were already victims of trafficking when they arrived. This year, the group has not only seen an increase of arrivals in Spain’s southern shores, but an increase of female migrants as well.”[Sex trafficking] is a phenomenon that’s very difficult to measure. The cases we see are just the tip of the iceberg,” Díez says. “When [migrants] arrive, they first go through the national police, and there’s rarely a calm moment where we can sit down with each woman and get her full story. And they’re so tired after the sea crossing, that it’s very difficult to identify a possible victim. There are many cases that are completely missed by authorities.”Women who migrant from sub-Saharan countries such as Nigeria, Guinea and Ivory Coast may spend months, sometimes years, making their way to Europe. Díez says they sometimes have “journey husbands” who protect them from other men, in exchange for having unlimited access to the woman whenever he wants.”Many of them have been subjected to sexual abuse and when they arrive, on top of mental and psychosocial trauma, their bodies begin to process the wounds suffered throughout their journey,” Díez says. “They face triple discrimination: being an immigrant, being a woman, and being poor, with few possibilities to move forward.”When Mapiemfou left Cameroon as a 26-year-old, she was looking for better work opportunities. The situation in her home country was worsening, and the privatization of resources — including potable water — was making it more difficult to make ends meet.”So why wouldn’t young people want to migrate?” she asks.Despite having papers, Mapiemfou says that finding work and renting an apartment as a black immigrant woman was extremely difficult. Nearly every job or apartment she nailed down was thanks to a friend or found through social networks.But she was fortunate to get a visa, she adds. Many undocumented women in her community prefer to get into sex work because they say it’s easier and they make more money.”Having resources available doesn’t mean that people will take advantage of them. There’s barely any information available for women to know their rights,” says Mapiemfou. “Barcelona makes itself out to be a welcoming city, Spain wants to paint itself as a welcoming country. But I’m not too convinced.” Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.read more

A note from the editor:Please consider making a voluntary financial contribution to support the work of DNS and allow it to continue producing independent, carefully-researched news stories that focus on the lives and rights of disabled people and their user-led organisations. Please do not contribute if you cannot afford to do so, and please note that DNS is not a charity. It is run and owned by disabled journalist John Pring and has been from its launch in April 2009. Thank you for anything you can do to support the work of DNS… The chancellor’s decision to pump billions of pounds into universal credit will not halt the “humanitarian crisis” that will be caused by its systemic flaws, disabled activists have warned.Philip Hammond announced in this week’s budget that he had found £1 billion – spread over five-and-a-half years – to ease the delayed “managed migration” process that will see about three million claimants of “legacy” benefits such as employment and support allowance (ESA) moved across to the new universal credit.He also promised another £1.7 billion a year to pay for more generous work allowances for universal credit, which combines six income-related benefits into one.Hammond began his speech on Monday by making it clear that his budget was “unashamedly” intended to help “hard-working families… people who get up early every morning… the strivers, the grafters and the carers”.Managed migration will begin next year but will affect only about 10,000 people in 2019, before accelerating in 2020.One of the flaws of universal credit repeatedly raised by critics is the length of time – at least five weeks, usually – that a claimant has to wait before they receive their first payment.Among the new managed migration measures detailed in the budget documents are that claimants of income-related ESA, jobseeker’s allowance and income support will receive an extra two weeks of those payments during the transition to universal credit, but only from July 2020.There will also be a cut, from October 2019, in the maximum rate at which universal credit advance payments can be paid back, from 40 per cent of the standard living costs allowance to 30 per cent; and, from October 2021, there will be an increase from 12 to 16 months in the length of time DWP will take to claw back these advance payments.Budget documents also reveal that the much-delayed rollout might now not be completed until June 2024, rather than the end of 2023, once a “six month contingency” for further possible delays is taken into account.Hammond also announced that the amount that disabled people and households with children can earn before their universal credit begins to be withdrawn – known as the work allowance – will rise by £1,000 a year from April 2019.This will mean that those affected will keep up to £630 a year, with the measure eventually costing the government an extra £1.7 billion a year.Bob Ellard, a member of the national steering group of Disabled People Against Cuts, which is campaigning to scrap universal credit altogether, dismissed any suggestion that the budget signified an end to austerity.He said: “While tax cuts for the rich took priority, Hammond did at least find some money to appease Tory MPs’ complaints over universal credit.“It will make little real difference to claimants, however, as universal credit will still be the cause of a humanitarian crisis in this country, whatever last-minute tinkering the Tories do.“And the elephant that wasn’t allowed into the room was the extreme poverty that many disabled people are living in, even before being forced to transfer to universal credit.”Disability Rights UK said that “while these changes may be positive all are subject to delay and overall do not remove universal credit’s delivery and design problems”. Dr Victoria Armstrong, chief executive of Disability North, said her organisation witnessed the “devastating impact of the roll out of universal credit on a daily basis”. She said: “Whilst in principle the idea to have a universal benefit could be seen as a step forward, we have seen it be used as a vehicle for cutting basic income for disabled people. “Not only that, the way that it has been administrated is not fit for purpose, for example the unacceptable waits, pushing people further into poverty, the use of food banks. Disability North have so many examples of this. “Therefore, we broadly welcome the £1 billion to manage the migration process, but much of this should not be thrown at the DWP, or even Citizens Advice, but should be going to local, user-led organisations like ours so that people can be supported to understand and access the system (including digital access) and appeal incorrect decisions.”Professor Peter Beresford, co-chair of Shaping Our Lives, said: “Pumping big money into a model failing because it is overly-simplistic and over-reliant on technology won’t solve its problems.“Disabled people are among those worst affected by this government’s failing policies and politics.“It’s just hoping that continuing attacks on Labour’s leadership and talking up the end of austerity will keep the punters sweet, long enough.“We just have to hope that UK democracy is not yet so damaged that the Tories will get away with it again at the next election.”In a blog published the day after the budget, Professor Sir Ian Diamond, the new chair of DWP’s social security advice body, the social security advisory committee, welcomed the “positive steps” on universal credit announced in the budget, but said the managed migration process was still “enormously ambitious”.He said his committee was concerned that the government’s plans “load an unreasonable level of risk onto the claimant” and added: “We fear that, in too many cases, they may be adversely impacted by the proposals or fall out of the social security system entirely.”Disabled activists have repeatedly warned that universal credit is “rotten to the core” with “soaring” rates of sanctions and foodbank use in areas where it has been introduced.In June, a report by the National Audit Office said DWP was failing to support “vulnerable” claimants and was unable to monitor how they were being treated under universal credit.And in July, employment minister Alok Sharma was asked by MPs on the Commons work and pensions committee why the benefits of hundreds of sick and disabled universal credit claimants were apparently being sanctioned, even though they should not have had to meet any of the strict conditions imposed by the system.In the same month, further concerns were raised by the committee about disabled people with high support needs who need to claim universal credit and face the possibility of strict conditions – such as being forced to carry out hours of job searches every week – as they wait for a work capability assessment.*For further details on the universal credit changes in the budget, see this blog by the Child Poverty Action Group’s Josephine Tuckerread more

Add to Queue Instagram Stories Is Now More Popular Than Snapchat April 14, 2017 Image credit: via PC Mag Watch out, Snapchat. Instagram on Thursday announced that more than 200 million people now use its Stories feature every day.That’s pretty impressive, considering Instagram launched the Snapchat ripoff just eight months ago, but you might be wondering why the Facebook-owned social network would call out the seemingly random number. Here’s why: rival Snapchat in its February IPO filing revealed that “on average, 158 million people use Snapchat daily.” So basically, Instagram is low key bragging that its Stories feature is now more popular than Snapchat. To be fair, Snapchat’s numbers were from two months ago, so it’s highly possible that the app’s daily active user count went up since then. Either way, it’s safe to say that Instagram Stories is giving Snapchat some serious competition.Meanwhile, Instagram also today introduced some new tools, including the ability to turn a selfie into a sticker.”When you take a photo or video and tap the smiley face, you’ll see a new sticker with a camera icon that lets you capture a mini-selfie,” Instagram explained in its blog post. You can then pin your selfie sticker to a specific spot in a video. To do that, just tap and hold the sticker, place it where you like and confirm by tapping “Pin.”Instagram also introduced “geostickers” for those in Chicago, London, Madrid and Tokyo. These are basically the same thing as Snapchat’s geofilters: cute graphic stickers that are only available in certain locations.It should also now be easier to access your favorite Instagram stickers. Just tap the smiley face and swipe right to see all the stickers you’ve recently used. Finally, when you’re recording a video using “Hands-Free” mode, you’ll now see a timer that counts down to when the video begins. Instagram Next Article Free Webinar | Sept 5: Tips and Tools for Making Progress Toward Important Goals 2 min read Snapchat in its February IPO filing revealed that ‘on average, 158 million people’ use its app every day. Instagram Stories just beat that. This story originally appeared on PCMag Reporter –shares Register Now » Angela Moscaritolo Attend this free webinar and learn how you can maximize efficiency while getting the most critical things done right.read more

Source:http://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/articles/2018/release/diet-rich-in-fish-helps-fight-asthma Reviewed by James Ives, M.Psych. (Editor)Nov 5 2018A clinical trial led by La Trobe University has shown eating fish such as salmon, trout and sardines as part of a healthy diet can reduce asthma symptoms in children.The international study found children with asthma who followed a healthy Mediterranean diet enriched with fatty fish had improved lung function after six months.Lead researcher Maria Papamichael from La Trobe said the findings added to a growing body of evidence that a healthy diet could be a potential therapy for childhood asthma.”We already know that a diet high in fat, sugar and salt can influence the development and progression of asthma in children and now we have evidence that it’s also possible to manage asthma symptoms through healthy eating,” Ms Papamichael said.Related StoriesDiet and physical exercise do not reduce risk of gestational diabetesDiet and nutrition influence microbiome in colonic mucosaStudy provides new insight into development of asthma”Fatty fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory properties. Our study shows eating fish just twice a week can significantly decrease lung inflammation in children with asthma.”Co-researcher and Head of La Trobe’s School of Allied Health, Professor Catherine Itsiopoulos, said the results were promising.”Following a traditional Mediterranean diet that is high in plant-based foods and oily fish could be an easy, safe and effective way to reduce asthma symptoms in children,” Professor Itsiopoulos said.Associate Professor Bircan Erbas, from La Trobe’s School of Psychology and Public Health, is an expert in asthma and allergies, who co-supervised the trial.”Asthma is the most common respiratory disease in young people and one of the leading reasons for hospitalizations and trips to emergency for children,” Associate Professor Erbas said.”Unfortunately, the rate of asthma worldwide remains high. It is imperative that we identify new therapies that we can use alongside conventional asthma medications.”The clinical trial involved 64 children from Athens in Greece, aged 5 to 12 who had mild asthma. Researchers from Australia and Greece divided the children into two groups and instructed around half to eat two meals of cooked fatty fish (of at least 150 grams) as part of the Greek Mediterranean diet every week for six months. The remaining children followed their normal diet.At the end of the trial, they found the group who ate fish had reduced their bronchial inflammation by 14 units. Above 10 units is significant under international guidelines.​read more

Source:http://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2019/january-2019/01022019spitzmueller-work-life.php Reviewed by James Ives, M.Psych. (Editor)Jan 3 2019Researchers look at how parent’s job stress affects children’s healthResearchers have long known that sick children can affect a company’s bottom line, as employees are distracted or have to take time off to care for their children. Far less is known about the impact a parent’s work life has on their children’s health.In a paper published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, researchers report that children’s health is less likely to be negatively affected when their parents feel a sense of control over their work lives.”If you can decide how you are going to do your job, rather than having that imposed on you, it is better for children,” said co-author Christiane Spitzmueller, professor of industrial organizational psychology at the University of Houston.The good news, she said, is that there are things organizations can do to provide employees with that sense of control.In addition to Spitzmueller, who also is managing director of the Center for ADVANCING UH Faculty Success, authors include first author Eugene Agboifo Ohu of the Lagos Business School in Lagos, Nigeria; Jing Zhang of California State University-San Bernadino; Candice L. Thomas of St. Louis University; Anne Osezua of the Institute for Work and Family Integration; and Jia Yu of the University of Houston.The researchers collected data from both parents and children in Lagos, Nigeria, targeting one group of low-income families and a second group of more affluent families. Teenage children from both groups were surveyed at their schools and asked to assess their own health.Spitzmueller said the researchers expect their findings to be applicable in the United States, as the more affluent families had education levels, incomes and expectations of family life that are similar to those in western nations.While the low-income group included people living in dire poverty, she noted that their responses did not differ markedly from those of the wealthier group. “Economic resources were not as much of a buffer as we would have thought,” she said.Related StoriesResearch team receives federal grant to study obesity in children with spina bifidaResearchers identify gene mutations linked to leukemia in children with Down’s syndromeChaos in the house and asthma in children – the connectionInstead, feelings of autonomy in the workplace accounted for the difference between families where the parents’ work-family conflicts played out in health problems for the children and those whose children fared better.The researchers look at so-called “self-regulatory resources,” or the amount of self-control parents bring to parenting, including the ability to act in a more reflective manner.”If a parent has too many stressors, it reduces your self-control,” Spitzmueller said. Parental self-control was linked to better health outcomes for children. In other words, how we parent when we experience high levels of stress is probably fundamentally different from how we parent when we are coping well.”At lower levels of job autonomy,” the researchers wrote, “employees likely have to rely more on self-regulatory resources to compensate for the impact of limited control over one’s job on one’s personal life. At higher levels of job autonomy, freedom and more decision-making opportunities are likely to motivate the person to engage; however, self-regulatory resources would be less needed.”The impact was most pronounced when job demands are high and job autonomy is low, and Spitzmueller said that allows for potential interventions and policies to address the issue.Some are relatively simple, including teaching parents to take a few minutes to recharge before plunging from the workplace into parenthood. Practicing mindfulness, Spitzmueller said, can allow parents to “replenish their resources.”Businesses and organizations can play a role, as well. Although the researchers say their findings are just the start of understanding how parental stressors affect children’s well-being, they also encourage workplace interventions aimed at promoting job autonomy.Managers and supervisors can be trained to more effectively deal with their employees and to encourage a greater sense of autonomy, Spitzmueller said.read more

Mar 28 2019More than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight and half of them are trying to lose weight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to a recent study, led by Evan Forman, PhD, a psychology professor in Drexel University’s College of Arts and Sciences, a first-of-its-kind smartphone app called OnTrack can predict ahead of time when users are likely to lapse in their weight loss plan and help them stay on track.”Weight loss apps are exceptionally popular,” said Forman. “However, very few people are successful at losing weight and keeping weight off, even with the help of these apps. The bottom line seems to be that it is extraordinarily difficult to stay on the weight loss plan.”Related StoriesAre DNA-based diets and personalized ‘medical foods’ the future for weight loss?Intermittent fasting may regulate blood glucose levels even without weight lossCircadian rhythm plays a part in weight lossPeople on weight loss plans often experience lapses, which can prevent successful weight loss or even lead to weight regain, according to Forman.The study evaluated the effectiveness of the app among weight loss program participants, individuals attempting to follow a structured online weight management plan from WW (previously known as Weight Watchers) for eight weeks.OnTrack uses advanced statistical methods – machine learning – to learn over time a user’s individual patterns of eating. Specifically, it learns patterns that are predictive of staying on one’s weight loss plan and patterns that are predictive of lapsing from one’s plan. When the algorithm detects the risk of lapsing is high, it sends a special coaching message that matches the reasons that someone is at risk. For example, the app can predict a person is eating late at night because of being bored at home with tempting food. The predictions get better over time as the app learns a user’s behavioral patterns.”This study is part of a line of research devoted to helping people become more adherent to a dietary prescription, which leads to more successful weight loss,” said Forman.Results showed the study was successful in three separate areas. First, participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the app. Second, OnTrack was successful at predicting lapse. Finally, over the course of the study, participants averaged a 3.13 percent weight loss and reduction in unplanned lapses.Since the study was successful, the next step is a randomized clinical trial to confirm the app’s efficacy as a weight loss tool.”Apps are particularly useful for predicting and preventing individual health behaviors. OnTrack could be utilized to facilitate greater success during self-directed weight loss attempts,” said Forman. Source:https://drexel.edu/now/archive/2019/March/On-Track-Smartphone-App-Study/read more

BENGALURU: With just a day left for the showdown in the Karnataka assembly, state Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday claimed that the party rebel MLAs camping in Mumbai had been locked down and may be disqualified. Rao took to Twitter to warn the rebel leaders of the possible consequences that may jeopardise their career. “Just heard. the rebel Congress MLAs in Mumbai are in complete lockdown. Mobiles taken away, can’t step outside, (they are) under house arrest,” Rao alleged. Posting a smiley with his tweet, Rao said the rebels were in the “clutches of BJP” and were sure to get disqualified. Just heard..the rebel @INCIndia MLA’s in Mumbai are in complete lockdown. Mobiles taken away, can’t step outside, u… https://t.co/y4m7idtVR9— Dinesh Gundu Rao / ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) 1563278424000The BJP is now escorting Roshan Baig!!! They were targeting him just a few weeks ago in the IMA scam. Clearly shows… https://t.co/bTES8ryuXQ— Dinesh Gundu Rao / ದಿನೇಶ್ ಗುಂಡೂರಾವ್ (@dineshgrao) 1563258825000″Soon they will be waiting in queue for B-forms to get BJP ticket,” he added. The Congress-JD(S) coalition government is under threat of being reduced to minority as 16 of their MLAs resigned from the assembly while two independents too withdrew their support to the alliance and aligned with the BJP. In the 225-member assembly, including the nominated member, the BJP has 107 MLAs and the coalition’s strength will dwindle to 101, if the resignations are accepted. The speaker has accepted chief minister H D Kumaraswamy’s notice to move the confidence motion to prove his majority on Thursday at 11.30am. Rao also accused the BJP of trying to take suspended Congress MLA R Roshan Baig to Mumbai. Baig too has resigned from the assembly. Baig was detained late on Monday night by the special investigation team probing the ‘IMA ponzi scheme’ at the airport when he was about to fly to Mumbai and he was questioned till 1pm on Tuesday, according to SIT sources. “The BJP is now escorting Roshan Baig! They were targeting him just a few weeks ago in the IMA scam. Clearly shows their hand in trying to topple the Congress/JDS govt. Doesn’t this prove our allegations that the resignations of our MLAs are neither voluntary nor genuine?” Rao tweeted. Download The Times of India News App for Latest India News.XStart your day smart with stories curated specially for youread more

Nation 08 Jul 2019 US not being clear of its priority targets in trade war with China For manufacturers like IREX, Trump’s recent action means they can’t sit back either.”Our sales department is looking for new markets, so if the U.S. increases Vietnam tariffs it won’t impact IREX’s business much,” said Trang, the company’s COO.- Bloomberg Markets 27 Jun 2019 Trade-war winner Vietnam is now a target for Trump’s tariffs Tags / Keywords: Economy Related News Vietnam goes from trade war winner to Trump target. HANOI: Americans are buying solar panels from Vietnam like never before, but local manufacturer IREX Energy JSC isn’t celebrating.After U.S. President Donald Trump slapped higher tariffs on China, production in neighbouring Vietnam went into overdrive. Chinese manufacturers, who face a 55% U.S. tariff on their goods, relocated some production to Vietnam, while local businesses saw a jump in orders. In June alone, U.S. imports of solar cells from Vietnam surged 656% from a year ago.That trade boom in everything from Ikea furniture to Nike Inc. shoes is now prompting more scrutiny from the US and making businesses like IREX concerned.”We are worried that the US may raise tariffs on our solar panels,” Pham Thi Thu Trang, the company’s chief operating officer, said from Ho Chi Minh City. “Though the U.S market is huge, it is a complicated market when it comes to its politics.”Communist Party-led Vietnam has steadily opened up to foreign investors over the years to become a manufacturing hub in the region, with household names like Samsung Electronics Co., Intel Corp. and Nestle SA setting up factories there. It’s that trade openness, as well as its low-cost labor and proximity to China, that’s helped Vietnam successfully navigate growing global protectionism as companies seek out refuges from the trade war.It’s very quickly climbed the ranks to become a significant U.S. trade partner. Vietnam’s annual trade surplus with the U.S. has exceeded $20 billion since 2014 and reached $40 billion last year, the highest in records going back to 1990, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. For the first five months of the year, the surplus is already 43% higher than a year ago at $21.6 billion.The Trump administration is now pressuring the nation of 97 million people to slash its trade surplus, threatening one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.Trouble began in May, when the U.S. Treasury added Vietnam to a watchlist of countries being monitored for possible currency manipulation. Then, in response to U.S. pressure, Vietnam announced a crackdown on Chinese exporters rerouting products through the Southeast Asian nation with fake Made-in-Vietnam labels to bypass Trump’s tariffs.Trump described Vietnam last month as “almost the single-worst abuser of everybody” when asked if he wanted to impose tariffs on the nation. And just last week, the U.S. slapped duties of more than 400% on steel imports from Vietnam which originated in South Korea and Taiwan.Vietnam officials have been left reeling. The government says it’s committed to buying more U.S. goods, from Boeing Co. jets to energy products to help narrow its trade surplus with the world’s largest economy. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc last week told officials to monitor U.S. reactions to the nation’s monetary policy more closely.”They are very nervous and confused. They don’t know what Trump’s next move will be,” said Alexander Vuving, a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii.Vietnam has not been adept at responding to charges against its trading practices in Washington, where a cadre of lawyers are needed to quickly engage the government, said Nestor Scherbey, a licensed U.S. customs broker and consultant based in Ho Chi Minh City. “It’s like being charged in court and not showing up.”Cheap LabourCapital Economics Ltd. estimates that if Trump levied a 25% tariff on imports from Vietnam as he did with Chinese goods, Hanoi would see a 25% drop in export revenue, equivalent to more than 1% of the nation’s gross domestic product. That would erase the estimated 0.5 percentage-point gain it has had over the past year as a beneficiary of the trade war.Even before the trade tensions, Vietnam was benefiting from businesses looking for low-cost alternatives to China as wages there grew. That trend will likely continue, which should help to sustain Vietnam’s economic trajectory, according to Adam McCarty, chief economist with Mekong Economics in Hanoi.”It’s not going to stop the underlying economic motivation to move basic factory work from China to Vietnam,” he said. “China is getting too expensive.”Vietnam’s leaders have also long worked to buffer the country from trade shocks by hedging its reliance on any single market, including the U.S., the nation’s largest export destination. Vietnam has inked more than a dozen free trade agreements such as the just-signed deal with the European Union that will eliminate 99% of customs duties, and the revamped Trans-Pacific Partnership, which eventually provides duty-free access to markets such as Canada and Japan for many products.”Vietnam’s foreign policy for decades has been the opposite of what Groucho Marx said: he’d never want to join a club that would have him,” McCarty said. “The Vietnamese approach is to join every trade and investment club they possibly can.” Nation 10 Jul 2019 Malaysia has potential to profit from US-China trade war, says Azmin Related News {{category}} {{time}} {{title}}read more

Related News LONDON (Reuters) – Top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic held off a spirited challenge from Spanish outsider Roberto Bautista Agut on Friday to triumph in four sets and advance to a mouthwatering Wimbledon final against Roger Federer.Remarkably the Serb’s 6-2 4-6 6-3 6-2 success was the 12th victory in his last 13 Grand Slam semi-finals and he is now one win away from his fifth title at Wimbledon and 16th Grand Slam singles crown as he resumes his great rivalry with the Swiss.Friday’s match turned on an amazing 45-shot rally in the seventh game of the third set, which Djokovic won to hold serve and stay a break up – and from then on he took total control as the Spaniard, who had looked calm and confident in his first Grand Slam semi-final, was eventually brushed aside.”I had to dig deep. It’s the semi-finals and Roberto was not overwhelmed – he’s a very under-rated player,” Djokovic, 32, said. Tennis 23h ago Factbox: Novak Djokovic versus Roberto Bautista Agut Tennis 10 Jul 2019 Clinical Djokovic destroys Goffin to reach semis “He played really well. He was managing his nerves in the first set but later on he established himself and started to play better. I got a bit tight. It was a close opening four or five games of the third set – that’s where the match could have gone a different way.”Bautista Agut flashed a brilliant return past Djokovic from the first serve of the match but he barely threatened for the rest of the set as his high-risk approach produced too many errors and a provided a straightforward set win for the favourite.The second was a different story as Bautista Agut dialled back a little and found that he was able to out-duel the master. Djokovic was making uncharacteristic errors on seemingly simple shots and was frequently left staring skywards, questioning himself and taking issue with the crowd.Bautista Agut snatched a break in the third game and served superbly to back it up, dropping only four points in five successful service games to level the match.REAL MATCHThe Centre Court crowd realised they had a real match on their hands and they were treated to a superb third set. It, and probably the match, hinged on the seventh game as Djokovic, a break to the good, served at 30-40.The players then smashed out their 45-shot rally, much of it a mesmerizing exchange of identical crosscourt backhands that had the crowd gasping before Djokovic blinked first to switch the angle of attack and take the point with a devastating winner.It was the longest rally officially seen at Wimbledon since records began in 2005 and Djokovic duly served out and stayed on top to take the set.The champion then took command in the fourth set, cutting out the loose groundstrokes and picking up points with adventurous serve-and-volley attacks and after breaking for a 2-1 lead he never looked back.”Obviously winning that game was crucial for me,” Djokovic said of the marathon rally game. “It gave me more confidence and relief so I could swing more freely in the next games.”Bautista Agut had no answers but can be pleased with his efforts in what is turning out to be the best year of his career, having never previously reached even a quarter-final at a Grand Slam.The 31-year-old can now join his friends on a belated stag break. They arrived in London to watch Friday’s game after his planned Ibiza trip was cancelled following his unexpected progress to the last four.Djokovic, however, has got more business to attend to as he prepares to face 37-year-old eight-times Wimbledon champion and number two seed Federer in Sunday’s showpiece.”Regardless of the history and many finals I’ve played, playing a final at Wimbledon is something different so I’ll definitely enjoy that experience,” he said. (Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Ken Ferris) Related News Tennis 10 Jul 2019 Ibiza party on hold as Bautista Agut reaches Wimbledon semis {{category}} {{time}} {{title}}read more